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Loading... The Magicians: A Novel (original 2009; edition 2009)by Lev Grossman
Work detailsThe Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009)
One of the most depressing books I've read, The Magicians is the story of people who choose to be miserable and drunk, despite, or perhaps because of, the fantastical magical powers they possess. The novel is not without appeal—it is darkly humorous and the world building is surprisingly good for its genre—but it doesn't make up for such a painfully bitter outlook on life. In addition to this grim outlook, the graphic sex and violence, and gratuitous drug and alcohol consumption will likely alienate many. I know there are folks who love this book, but it's not for me. (  ) bkalish | Jun 16, 2013 |  This book manages to combine some of the most entertaining aspects of both Harry Potter (a magical education) and Narnia (unexpected visits to a magical land) in a story with much of the dirty grit that defines life in the real world. I really enjoyed this combination right up until the point where the characters finally get to Fillory, and the violence escalated beyond anything I'd expected. Violence is not my scene, so I suppose that might not be a negative for someone else. I was occasionally frustrated with the characters, finding them irritatingly obtuse about relationships and utterly lacking in common sense or general ambition, but I also realized that my irritation is probably caused by the fact that the characters are too like real people. I confess I like my fiction a little more rounded on the edges. But at least, unlike Grossman's last book (Codex), at least the characters have learned some things and made some personal changes by the time the story concludes. (  ) Snukes | Jun 14, 2013 | I don't know what I can say about this one that hasn't already been said. Yes, it's true, it is sort of a mash up of Harry Potter and Narnia. But it's so much more than that as well. I really liked this book, though I can't really explain why. It kept me interested the whole time through, which not many books do. It was fun and a little dark as well, and it made me laugh quite often. I had no idea that this was a series, and there was another book coming out next year, until I flipped to the last page and saw it advertised there. It wasn't a cliffhanger, it wrapped up quite well within the story, but it also left room to continue. Highly recommended - you might like it and you might not, but it's definitely worth a try! (  ) breakofdawn | Jun 11, 2013 | The tagline for this book is a 'Harry Potter for adults'. Well, there are definitely similarities. People with innate magical abilities are tested and have the option of going to a Brakebills, a magical training academy instead of college. But Brakebills is no Hogwarts. The overall feeling of this book is much darker and innocent activities like drinking butter beer and 'snogging' have been replaced by much more adult and depraved behavior. And unlike Harry Potter, there isn't a clear battle of good vs. evil. Instead graduates from Brakebills have perfected their craft, but have no real purpose in life. Much of the criticism toward this book has been about the whiny behavior of the main character Quentin. But, although I agree - what a whiner! - Quentin's emotions were so authentic and make sense. Imagine mastering all these amazing magical skills and not having to work at a typical job to make a living. Life becomes trite and meaningless - Harry Potter meets Madame Bovary. But everything changes when Quentin and his Brakebills friends discover that the world of Fillory, the setting of a children's fantasy series, is a real place with real villains and a need for real heroes. Definitely a good story. Looking forward to the sequel. ( ) jmoncton | Jun 3, 2013 | Like Harry Potter? Try this series. Audio book is very good. ( ) patriciamoss | May 28, 2013 |
 This isn't just an exercise in exploring what we love about fantasy and the lies we tell ourselves about it -- it's a shit-kicking, gripping, tightly plotted novel that makes you want to take the afternoon off work to finish it.  It’s the original magic — storytelling — that occasionally trips Grossman up. Though the plot turns new tricks by the chapter, the characters have a fixed, “Not Another Teen Movie” quality. There’s the punk, the aesthete, the party girl, the fat slacker, the soon-to-be-hot nerd, the shy, angry, yet inexplicably irresistible narrator. Believable characters form the foundation for flights of fantasy. Before Grossman can make us care about, say, the multiverse, we need to intuit more about Quentin’s interior universe.  Somewhat familiar, albeit entertaining... Grossman's writing is intelligent, but don't give this one to the kids—it's a dark tale that suggests our childhood fantasies are no fun after all. Grossman has written both an adult coming-of-age tale—rife with vivid scenes of sex, drugs, and heartbreak—and a whimsical yarn about forest creatures. The subjects aren’t mutually exclusive, and yet when stirred together so haphazardly, the effect is jarring. More damaging still is the plot, which takes about 150 pages to gain any steam, surges dramatically in the book’s final third, and then peters out with a couple chapters left to go. Grossman, Time magazine's book critic and a frequent writer on technology, clearly has read his Potter and much more. While this story invariably echoes a whole body of romantic coming-of-age tales, Grossman's American variation is fresh and compelling. Like a jazz musician, he riffs on Potter and Narnia, but makes it his own. Vladimir Nabokov once observed, "The truth is that great novels are great fairy tales." "The Magicians" is a great fairy tale, written for grown-ups but appealing to our most basic desires for stories to bring about some re-enchantment with the world, where monsters lurk but where a young man with a little magic may prevail. Was inspired byIs a concordance toHas as a concordance
References to this work on external resources.
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